James Gerry was born in 1833 in Devon, England. He was the second child of John Gerry & Sarah Symons. He was a sixth generation descendant of Benjamin Gerry.
James’s lineage is shown below
- G1: Benjamin Gerry 1644-1711 & Elianor Langdon
- G2: Leonard Gerry 1673-1759 & Edith Beare & Charity Littlejohn
- G3: John Gerry 1723-1796 & Katherine Harries.
- G4: John Gerry 1755-1825 & Elizabeth Parsons
- G5: John Gerry 1798-1858 & Sarah Symons
- G6: James William Gerry 1833-1868 & Elizabeth Baker (Dan Shiels Ancestor)
- G7: James Gerry 1855-1868
- G7: Sarah Jane Gerry 1857-1880 & John Vosper
- G8: Lilly Maud Vosper 1879-1900 & Roderick Murray
- G7: Walter William Gerry 1859-1940 & Mary Ann Baker
- G7: Humphrey Gerry 1862-1919 & Mary Ann Abbey
- G7: Albert Gerry 1864-1940 & Edith Jane Rowland
- G7: Arthur John Gerry 1866-1946 & Sarah Hannah Lightowler
- G7: John Henry Gerry 1868-1944 & Annie Merrifield (Dan Shiels Ancestor)
G6: John Gerry 1833-1868 & Elizabeth Baker
When James William (John) Gerry was born in September 1833 in Cornwall, England, his father, John, was 38 and his mother, Sarah Symons, was 39.
James Gerry grew up in South Hill, Cornwall, England. In the 1851 census, he was listed as a lodger in St. Austell, Cornwall, England living with William Coombe. James Gerry emigrated to Canada in 1852 and lived in Fullarton, Ontario.
He married Elizabeth Baker on March 14, 1854, in Fullarton, Ontario. They had seven children in 13 years, James 1855-1868; Sarah Jane 1857-1880; Walter William 1859-1940; Humphrey 1862-1919; Albert 1864-1940; Arthur John 1866-1946 and John Henry 1868-1944.
James William Gerry and his son James Gerry drowned in the Thames river in Ontario on March 17, 1868, at the age of 34. They were attempting to cross the river after the bridge had washed out.
After John Gerry’s death, Elizabeth Baker Gerry married Thomas Vosper on December 30, 1873, in Perth, Ontario. Elizabeth, Thomas and Sarah moved to Brandon Hills, Manitoba in 1904. They lived with Elizabeth’s son Arthur Gerry.
Elizabeth died on April 26, 1918, in Brandon, Manitoba, having lived a long life of 80 years. Thomas passed away in 1915.
G7: James Gerry 1855-1868
When James Gerry was born on February 22, 1855, in Fullarton, Ontario, his father, John Gerry, was 21 and his mother, Elizabeth Baker, was 17. He had five brothers and one sister.
He died as a teenager on March 17, 1868, in his hometown.
G7: Sarah Jane Gerry 1857-1880 & John Vosper
When Sarah Jane Gerry was born on March 2, 1857, in Fullarton, Ontario, her father, John Gerry, was 23, and her mother, Elizabeth Baker, was 19.
Sarah moved to Manitoba with her mother and step father and after a short time, she returned to Ontario. She married John Vosper on January 6, 1876, in her hometown. They had one child during their marriage, Lilly Maud Vosper 1879-1900.
Sarah died as a young mother on June 4, 1880, in Fullarton, Ontario, at the age of 23. John died on July 24, 1931, in Manitoba at the age of 82.
G8: Lilly Maud Vosper 1879-1900 & Roderick Murray
When Lilly Maud Vosper was born in 1879 in Fullarton, Ontario, her father, John Vosper, was 31, and her mother, Sarah Gerry, was 22.
She married Roderick Murray on April 4, 1900, in Riverside, Manitoba. They had one child during their marriage. William Roderick Murray was born Feb 1, 1900 and died the same day.
Lilly died very young on September 6, 1900, in Manitoba at the age of 21.
G7: Walter William Gerry 1859-1940 & Mary Ann Baker
When Walter William Gerry was born on July 15, 1859, in Perth, Ontario, his father, John Gerry, was 25 and his mother, Elizabeth Baker, was 21.
In the spring of 1880, Walter left Mitchell Ontario and journeyed westward by rail to Winnipeg. There he boarded the riverboat, Alpha, and sailed westerly up the Assiniboine River. During that summer and late fall, he worked on the construction of the grade and track of the C.P. Railway. Since he was too young to file for a homestead, he returned to Ontario for the winter.
Returning to Manitoba in the spring of 1881, he boarded the riverboat Marquette at Winnipeg and sailed westward as far as Currie’s Landing. He continued his journey on foot to join friends he had previously met at Brandon Hills. At that time, he filed on his land, N.W. 20-9-18. That fall, he and his neighbour built a house on the land. The logs used in construction were drawn from a spruce bush twenty miles east of his homestead.
Walter married Mary Ann Baker on November 29, 1882, in Brandon, Manitoba. They worked together to break and cultivate their land with the help of their team of oxen, Buck and Bright. They used a wooden beam walking plow. The planting of the grain was by hand. A brick home was built in 1907 and completed in 1908. It was still used as a home in 1979 by Walter’s grandson Douglas Coate.
Walter served on the School Board at Brandon Hills for a number of years. Being very municipally minded, he served as a Councillor on Ward Two in the Cornwallis Municipality from 1902 to 1916.
They had 11 children in 22 years, John Henry Gerry 1883-1904; James Wesley Gerry 1885-1979; Ettia Rosina Gerry 1886-1964; Sarah Jane Gerry 1888-1902; Ethel Gerry 1890-1982; Bertha Gerry 1893-1904; Vera Beatrice Gerry 1895-1979; Julia May Gerry 1897-1985; Frederick Harold Gerry 1899-1989; Selina Merle Gerry 1903-1904 and Gordon William Gerry 1906-1996.
The 1891 census shows that Walter and his family had moved to Manitoba.
In the 1901 and 1911 census, Walter and his family are living in Brandon, Manitoba. He is listed as a farmer and his religion was listed as Methodist.
In June 1921, Walter is listed as a widower and is still on the family farm listed as Township 9 in ranges 17, 18 and 19, west of principal meridian.
Walter died on April 22, 1940, in Brandon, Manitoba, at the age of 80. Mary Ann died on April 10, 1909, in Brandon, Manitoba, at the age of 48.
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G7: Humphrey Gerry 1862-1919 & Mary Ann Abbey
Humphrey Gerry was born on February 7, 1862, in Perth, Ontario, to Elizabeth Baker, age 24, and John Gerry, age 28. His father John passed away on March 17, 1868, in Fullarton, Ontario, at the age of 34 when Humphrey was only 6 years old.
Humphrey Gerry married Mary Ann Abbey in Caledonia, Ontario, on February 13, 1889, when he was 27 years old and Mary Ann was 20 years old.
Humphrey was a Drayman when he was married and they bought C.P.R. land in the Pilot Mound district.
They had three children, Leo Norman Gerry 1889-1968; Howard Vincent Gerry 1892-1892 and Elgin Clifford Gerry 1893-1918.
Humphrey Gerry died on May 30, 1919, in Brandon, Manitoba, when he was 57 years old. Mary Ann Abbey died on September 8, 1957, in Brandon, Manitoba, when she was 88 years old.
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G7: Albert Gerry 1864-1940 & Edith Jane Rowland
Albert Gerry was born on April 24, 1864, in Fullarton, Ontario, to Elizabeth Baker, age 26, and John Gerry, age 30. His father John passed away on March 17, 1868, when he was just 34 years old.
Albert Gerry married Edith Jane Rowland in Mitchell, Ontario, on August 31, 1888, when he was 24 years old.
Their first son Alvin Henry Gerry 1889-1918 was born in Fullarton, Ontario before the family moved to the Glenora district in Manitoba (between Killarney and Pilot Mound). Other children born in this area included Albert John Gerry 1893-1915; Eletha May Gerry 1895-1978; Howard Roy Gerry 1896-1903; Eliza Elizabeth Gerry 1899-1899; Edith Jane Gerry 1900-1989; Stella Mildred Gerry 1902-1990; Roland Lloyd Gerry 1903-1991; Eva Hazel Gerry 1905-1982;
In 1906 the family moved to the Heward, Saskatchewan area where the following children were born, Gordon Vosper Gerry 1907-1979; Walter Franklin Gerry 1909-1982; Gladys Elizabeth Gerry 1912 and Edward Gerry 1913-1998.
The family suffered with the loss of Eliza Elizabeth at about 5 months old, the death of son Howard Roy at 7 years old and their son Albert John that was killed in action in WW1.
Albert Gerry died on October 1, 1940, in Heward, Saskatchewan, when he was 76 years old. His wife Edith died on February 8, 1947, in Beaverlodge, Alberta, at the age of 77.
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G7: Arthur John Gerry 1866-1946 & Sarah Hannah Lightowler
When Arthur John Gerry was born on February 21, 1866, in Perth, Ontario, his father, John, was 32 and his mother, Elizabeth, was 28.
Arthur moved to Brandon, Manitoba and purchased N.E 21-9-18 and N.W. 22-9-18 from a Mr. Harris. A new house was built by the Gerry brothers. The house was made of stone brought from quite a piece east of the Martinville siding area.
Late in life, Arthur married Sarah Hannah Lightowler on April 20, 1922, in Brandon, Manitoba. They never had any children.
Arthur and Sarah retired to Victoria BC around 1933.Arthur died on November 30, 1946, in Victoria, British Columbia, at the age of 80.
G7: John Henry Gerry 1868-1944 & Annie Merrifield
John Henry Gerry was born on August 3, 1868, in Perth, Ontario, to Elizabeth Baker, age 30, and John Gerry, age 34.
John Henry Gerry lived in Fullarton, Ontario, in 1871.
John suffered his first loss when his sister Sarah Jane died on June 4, 1880, in Fullarton, Ontario, when John Henry was 11 years old.
John Henry Gerry married Annie Merrifield in Mitchell, Ontario, on March 6, 1891, when he was 22 years old.
Their first child was a son, Harrid Michard Gerry. He was born Aug 19, 1892 in Oxford, Ontario and died the same day. The family moved to Woodstock Ontario where a daughter Laura Elizabeth Gerry was born on Apr 27, 1893. The next move was to Monkton, Ontario and another daughter Pearl Alberta Gerry was born there on Jul 12, 1895.
In 1901, the family moved to Manitoba and settled in Brandon. A daughter Winnifred Gerry was born there on Mar 31, 1901. By 1903, the family had moved on to Estevan, Saskatchewan as the new homesteads were opening up. A son, Roy Clayton Gerry was born there on May 11, 1903. Another son, Elwood John Gerry was born in nearby Bienfait, Sask on May 30, 1906.
The next move was to Heward, Saskatchewan where three children were born, Melbourne David Gerry on Jul 20, 1908; William Edward Gerry on Oct 21, 1910 and Eula Ethel Gerry in 1914.
The children attended Hillhurst school. Mel & Bill had the job of lighting the fire in the school for several years. Mrs. Gerry attended the Presbyterian Church. Harry and family played for many dances in the early days and they enjoyed music at home in the evenings. When their son Bill grew up, he was a good violin player and with his brothers also played for dances. Carpenter work was Harry’s main job and he worked at this through the years.
John’s mother Elizabeth Baker Gerry passed away in Brandon, Manitoba on Apr 26, 1918 and he lost his brother Humphrey Gerry on May 30, 1919.
Annie Merrifield Gerry died Sept 10, 1930 in Heward, Sask and John died Jan 10, 1944 in Heward.
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(Dan Shiels Ancestor)